- Plateau government is engaging the federal housing authority and private investors to support the planned housing scheme.
- Mass housing project sites are currently being cleared and construction is expected to begin in the coming months.
The governor of Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang, has said his administration will embark on mass housing projects to tackle the state’s housing deficit.
Mutfwang, who addressed journalists in Jos on Tuesday, described the current rent levels in the state as “worrying”.
He explained that many Plateau residents are unable to afford decent accommodation due to the high cost of rent.
The governor added that the housing initiative would benefit civil servants and other low-income earners in the state.
He said the government had gone beyond internal strategies and reached out to the federal housing authority for collaboration on the project.
“We are currently accelerating our investments in the housing sector; this is one area we are so concerned about,” he said.
“At the moment, we are clearing sites to begin the construction of mass housing in the state and in a couple of months work will commence in earnest.
“We are in talks with the federal housing authority and other investors to key into this initiative.
“I’m glad that we were able to complete the payment for land on behalf of our workers for the construction of houses for civil servants in the state.”
Mutfwang noted that while government cannot directly regulate rent, increased housing supply will discourage landlords from exploiting tenants.